


how do i say i love you?

by sugakun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-14 22:37:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20608487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugakun/pseuds/sugakun
Summary: a compilation of alternate i love you's and haikyuu pairings.





	1. "i'll walk you home" + sunakita

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

“Hey. **I’ll walk you home.**”

And as always, Kita can’t decipher the tone in Suna’s voice as he glances over his shoulder, closing the locker with a metallic _click._ The middle blocker’s eyes are equally unreadable, but Kita has grown talented in the art of reading his teammates, and something seems off despite the other boy’s efforts to remain as poker-faced as possible. Maybe it’s in the way Suna refuses to meet his gaze, or in the way he tugs at the strap of his volleyball bag even though it’s already on. Either way, it doesn’t go unnoticed—but it does go unspoken for the time being.

“That’s awfully nice of you, Suna. Did you wake up on the right side of the bed this morning?” Kita asks while sliding his bag on, letting it rest squarely on his shoulders.

“Hilarious.” Suna’s expression reads otherwise as he rolls his eyes. But he sneaks a quick glance at Kita before looking away again. “Is there something wrong with a teammate wanting to walk his captain home?” Suna asks, his voice softer than usual.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with it.” However, the gesture _is_ completely unexpected. Suna, who was always expressionless during practice (save for the occasional snark when the twins were pranking everyone _except_ him) and who was usually the first one out of the changing room, offering to walk Kita home? The captain isn’t quite sure how to feel about it except suspicious.

But it’s an offer too rare to pass by, and that’s enough to set aside any skepticism. Kita knows better than to press Suna for answers when he didn’t want to give any.

“I’ll take you up on that. I’ll buy you those jelly fruit sticks you like so much as thanks,” Kita replies.

Suna raises an eyebrow as they start making their way over to the door. “Are you trying to bribe me? Won’t work, Kita-san. This may by your last spring tournament, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna try any harder than I already have to.”

Kita opens the door for Suna and wears a small smile. “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for, Suna.” Because even if it was his last time playing at nationals, knowing his teammates would play exactly as they always did put Kita’s mind at ease.

Suna walks out first, the soft, orange glow of the setting sun illuminating the shades of brown in his hair. It almost blinds Kita as he follows behind, as if he was trying to catch up with the horizon beyond them. As if he was trying to catch up with whatever tomorrow held for his team, because even if they were the strongest challengers, the spring tournament was a wild card every time. Each year brought new members, which meant new dynamics, which meant new strengths.

But all Kita can do is put his confidence in his team, and something about seeing Suna glow in colors that blended harmoniously with the sky reminds him of that. Of how powerful confidence in others could be.

So, even if Kita doesn’t know what will happen after Suna walks him home, he’ll be grateful that he’s able to share it with teammates like him.

“Come on,” Kita says, stepping forward to stand by Suna’s side. “Let’s go home.”


	2. "take my jacket, it's cold outside" + oikuroo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

No matter how many times Oikawa looks out the window, he knows he can’t change the fact that it was freezing outside.

No matter how many times he checked his phone, refreshed the weather app, and refreshed it again, he couldn’t change the 5ºC that kept popping up. The dreaded temperature refused to increase a single centigrade.

If Iwa-chan were here with him right now, he would’ve told him that he asked for it the moment he stepped out of his apartment in nothing but his favorite athletic jacket, long-sleeved shirt, teal shorts, and running leggings. Oikawa Tooru had a look to maintain, and there was no way he was going to ruin his morning run by putting on a very _not _stylish winter coat.

But that was Oikawa Tooru at 7:00. Now, this is Oikawa Tooru at 18:00, who is wondering whether hypothermia or frostbite would happen first once he left the gym.

_Yup. I definitely asked for this, _he thinks while fiddling with his fingers. It was his turn to lock the gym up, so maybe he could wait for everyone to leave and ask Iwaizumi to drop a jacket off and lock it up then. However, Oikawa has a feeling that his best friend would refuse to even pick up the phone, already knowing what he was calling about and letting him suffer the consequences.

A sigh of defeat escapes past his lips as he slips his favorite jacket on (it’s slowly _not _becoming his favorite).

“Why the long sigh, Oika’a-kun?” a playful voice asks from behind him, and Oikawa almost jolts up in surprise. He turns around and is greeted by a very wide grin.

“Stop scaring me like that, Kuroo-chan. It’s not good for my heart,” Oikawa replies with a light punch to the taller man’s shoulder. Kuroo feigns a look of pain, rubbing the targeted area with his hand for extra dramatic flair.

“Sorry. You okay, though?” Kuroo asks once he drops the façade.

“Yeah. I’m just really dumb.”

“Mm… I agree, you are really dumb,” Kuroo says blatantly. Oikawa responds with an offended look, and he’s just about to respond when Kuroo sprouts a thick jacket out of thin air. It lands on his face in the blink of an eye, and Oikawa barely manages to catch it.

**“Take my jacket,** you idiot. **It’s really cold outside.** I don’t know why you didn’t plan ahead for this,” Kuroo continues on, but now there’s a flustered expression written all across his features. It’s clear in the way he clears his throat, rubs the back of his neck, and looks away with a tint of pink in his cheeks that definitely _isn’t _from the cold.

Oikawa gazes at Kuroo, and the thought of how adorable his reaction is catches him off guard. Now he’s burying his face into the hood of Kuroo’s jacket, hoping he doesn’t notice the matching blush.

Looks like Iwa-chan didn’t need to come and save him, after all.


	3. "i dreamt about you last night" + kenhina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

Hinata is buzzing with energy as he dashes into his room. His adrenaline rush has only intensified since the remaining minutes of practice, and he ignores the possibility of Tsukishima wondering if he had been in major need of a bathroom break as drops his volleyball bag on the ground. In a matter of seconds, he’s digging his laptop out from under a pile of papers on his desk, flopping onto his bed, and turning the screen on.

This was the first time he and Kenma were getting to talk since the new school year started. The Nekoma setter—now _vice captain,_ alongside Yamamoto as captain—had been kept plenty busy now that he was co-leading one of the top teams in Tokyo, and Hinata himself had a team of his own to look after. But he wasn’t about to let the distance between Tokyo and Miyagi prevent them from talking. Not when they he had so much to tell Kenma, especially about his dream from the previous night.

Hinata remembers every detail so vividly, he couldn’t help wondering if it had actually happened. They were both playing on the same team at nationals, standing together on the Orange Court and sprouting jerseys of an indistinguishable team and an unfamiliar color. Kenma had set him the perfect toss, Hinata had jumped at first tempo, and the ball fit perfectly against the palm of his hand as he spiked it past two blockers. They were about to reward each other with a high five and what seemed to be a hug, but his alarm won that battle, and he never got to see exactly what had happened after.

The young middle blocker shakes it off once Kenma appears on the screen, and it’s a sight Hinata has missed more than he thought because his heart starts to race at the sight of the setter’s hair tied back into a bun. But he ignores that, too, for Kenma is smiling softly and waving at him.

“Kenma, it’s been so long! How’s it going? How’s leading Nekoma been?” Hinata greets excitedly, unable to stop himself from grinning widely and running through his endless list of questions.

“Hi, Shouyou. It’s been good. The new first years are a shy group… I think Tora might be scaring them, but I’m pretty excited to watch them play. We’re going to play some sets tomorrow, see how it goes...” Hinata watches Kenma tuck a loose strand of blond hair carefully, and he almost doesn’t hear Kenma continue on. “… for you? How’s being a second year so far?”

Hinata snaps back to attention and hopes Kenma didn’t catch his moment of being distracted by a simple strand of hair. Loose hair, which Kenma had put back behind his ear. Which Kenma had looked very adorable while doing so. “It’s been a lot of fun so far! Our first years are pretty shy, too, but I think Ennoshita helped them feel welcome today! He’s been a great captain so far, and Tanaka, too!”

They catch up on their recent school and volleyball adventures for what feels like years. Hinata barely notices how much time has actually passed until he eyes the time on his laptop screen. Suddenly there’s a pounding against his chest as he remembers what he wanted to tell Kenma since this morning.

“Kenma!” Hinata interjects, catching Kenma off-guard. He waits until the vice captain composes himself and refocuses his attention on Hinata. **“I dreamt about you last night!”**

It takes a moment for Kenma to fully process the information Hinata relayed on him, and once he seems to do so, there’s a sudden flush of red spreading from cheek to cheek. Hinata now wonders if he had said something wrong, and he prepares to apologize when Kenma clears his throat.

“R-really…? That’s weird, because I actually dreamt about you, too…” Kenma admits, his voice even softer than usual as he starts to look away from Hinata. If Kenma’s hair had been down, Hinata’s sure he would’ve been trying to hide behind it in this moment. Hinata is and isn’t glad that it was up, because he was getting to experience a rare expression from Kenma, but he definitely wasn’t prepared for it.

It doesn’t help anymore that Kenma had had a dream about Hinata, too, as the likeliness of that occurring was almost zero. Was Kenma left wondering what happened next, like Hinata? Were they both playing on the same team in Kenma’s dream, too? Was Kenma preparing to wrap his arms around Hinata’s shoulders, bringing him in close in celebration for their perfectly coordinated setup?

Hinata starts to worry that they won’t have enough time to fill each other in on the details of their dreams—he’s sure Kenma had work to do, and dinner would be ready soon. Anticipation leaves him wanting to know more, but Hinata is grateful that when it comes to their friendship, they had all the time in the world to share their day-to-day adventures. To share their dreams, whether or not one had appeared in the other’s. To share their stories, volleyball matches, and maybe someday, the same side of the court.

“Will you tell me about it?” Hinata asks.

Kenma returns his gaze to Hinata’s and smiles widely. “I’d love to.”


	4. "it reminded me of you" + ushimoni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

“It’s best if you pick them off from the stem, just above the berry itself.”

“Like this?”

Moniwa just barely pinches the stem of the strawberry exactly as instructed, using his index finger and thumb in preparation to pick it off from the plant. He uses his other hand to cup beneath the berry so it wouldn’t fall to the ground like his many previous (and failed) attempts.

The weather was in favor for strawberry picking: Moniwa had spent the previous evening worrying about an endless storm that would rain on their harvesting parade, but by some stroke of luck, the dark clouds never came when it had been predicted to. Instead, the sky was shrouded with a light shade of grey, preventing the sun from beating down on the backs of their necks and providing them the full pleasure of berry picking without sweating the storm up instead.

Ushijima’s collection of perfectly ripe and red strawberries after only thirty minutes had fueled a fire inside of Moniwa’s heart, and he was as determined as ever to obtain a harvest of his own that was even better—without his partner’s help. But, against his original intentions, Ushijima ended up lending a hand. However, they have yet to succeed without letting the fruit fall to the soil or explode in Moniwa’s gloves.

“This is gonna be the one, Wakatoshi. I can feel it in my bones,” Moniwa insists, staring long and hard at the strawberry that was soon to be his.

“Me, too,” Ushijima agrees with a small smile. Now full of confidence, Moniwa prepares himself to finally pick the berry off. “Okay, now pinch it off gently, and make sure it simply rolls in your hand once it’s off the rest of the stem. Ready?”

Moniwa nods his head. “Ready. One, two, three…”

With a pinch of his fingers, the strawberry falls off the plant and lands in Moniwa’s hand, and he keeps it completely still as it wobbles back and forth for a few seconds. Once it’s stationary, Moniwa carefully—very carefully—navigates it toward the basket and settles it down gently, very gently, at the bottom.

It feels like several long, tense hours once Moniwa lets out a breath of relief. After another half an hour, he has successfully picked his first strawberry—and a very plump and red one, at that.

“You know, that strawberry **reminds me of you**,” Ushijima says suddenly, catching Moniwa off-guard. Moniwa looks at the taller man, confused.

“How come?” Moniwa asks, genuinely curious.

“It’s perfect.”

Moniwa is now the same shade as the strawberry—he’s sure of it.


	5. "you can have half" + oisuga

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

Oikawa grins mischievously as Sugawara sways his hips back and forth, whistling a song he can’t quite decipher while checking the oven. It’s quite the sight to see his boyfriend having so much fun in the kitchen by himself, still in cozy mode from their day in with his pajamas and an apron tied in a perfect bow just above the waist.

He sets his mug down as quietly as possible before he sneaks up behind Sugawara, wrapping his arms squarely around the middle of his body. Oikawa feels Sugawara gasp from the sharp rise in his back, so he takes this moment of surprise to plant a kiss on the back of his neck. That makes Suga shudder, and Oikawa feels that that, too, letting him know that he has the upper hand in this game.

“What’re doing that’s so much fun, Kou-chan?” Oikawa asks with a sing-song voice, moving his hips in time to Suga’s previous tempo.

It seems Suga has no intent in losing to Oikawa as he wiggles out from his old, grabbing an oven mitten from the drawer below the oven. “Maybe if you didn’t decide to come out of no where and scare me, I’d tell you. But now you’re going to have to wait patiently in the living room.”

Sugawara shoots a glare back at Oikawa, and Oikawa knows his boyfriend is serious about that. Otherwise, there’d be a jab to his side coming after. Knowing that doesn’t stop him from playfully pouting. “You’re no fun, baby.”

“Mm-hm, tell me about it later, babe,” Suga says to shoo him off, but Oikawa doesn’t miss the smile on those lips he knows by heart as well as memory.

Fifteen minutes pass until the familiar smell of a bakery fills every single one of his senses. Oikawa can recognize that scent from miles away, and there’s no mistaking it.

“Kou-chan! You shouldn’t have!” Oikawa insists, looking over the back of the couch to find Suga with his eyes. The other man has taken his apron off, exposing his favorite sweater of Oikawa’s, and is now carrying a plate with a fresh loaf of milk bread. Sugawara smiles as he then walks over to meet Oikawa on the couch, settling the treat down on the table and situating himself next to him. Their knees bump as they get closer, Sugawara wrapping his arms around Oikawa’s neck to bridge the distance between them once more.

“Well, I wanted to try out a new recipe I found, and I know this past week was really long for you. So… I thought, why not treat my dorky boyfriend to his favorite food?” Sugawara explains with his signature grin before returning Oikawa’s previous affections by nuzzling their noses together.

“Oh, that’s rude. Am I dorky or am I your boyfriend?” Oikawa asks, genuinely curious. But he doesn’t get an answer to that: Sugawara hushes him with a press of his pointer finger to his lips before reaching over and grabbing the bread.

“Here, try it out,” Sugawara insists, holding the plate up closer to Oikawa.

“Your wish is my command.” Oikawa picks the milk bread off the plate. It’s soft and warm in the palm of his hand—a perfect fit, as if it was meant to be—but the sensation only lasts for mere seconds as the start of the loaf disappears into his mouth.

It’s a perfect combination of flavors: all of his favorite components of milk and bread mixed into one, harmonious delicacy. Oikawa Tooru has reveled in many variations of the recipe, but there’s something about Sugawara’s baking that makes this experience one of the best he’s ever had, and there’s a longing feeling once that first bite is finished.

“How is it…?” Sugawara asks, his eyes wide and full of wonder.

Oikawa smiles wide. “It’s amazing, Kou-chan. The best milk bread I’ve ever had, and I hope you’ll be making it for me every day.”

Sugawara rolls his eyes, but returns Oikawa’s smile all the same. “Thank you. I’m happy you like it.”

Oikawa is about to lose himself in the second bite, but he pauses mid-motion, realizing that it just wasn’t fair if Sugawara didn’t get a chance to sample his own masterpiece. So, he moves the remainder of the loaf away from his mouth and towards Suga.

“Here, I can’t eat this all by myself. **You can have half.**” Oikawa insists, prompting Suga to take the milk bread.

But Sugawara’s lips are now on his instead, locking their mouths in a deep kiss.

It tastes like home.


	6. "i dreamt about you last night" + bokuaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

The phone reads 3:30 when the screen shines to life, nearly blinding Akaashi in the darkness of his room. Below the clock, there’s a series of messages from _bokuto-san _that had been sent just after Akaashi fell asleep. It’s strange how perfectly timed the unread words are, and how the sender was perfectly suited to the dream he woke up from.

Leading Fukurodani after Bokuto left for university had been an adventure all on its own, and to say the least, Akaashi isn’t used to it. Switching from vice to team captain wasn’t much different—after standing by Bokuto’s side for the entirety of his third year, he practically knew what to do and settled into the new role in a matter of two days. Rather, it was the fact that Bokuto’s _presence_ was no longer by Akaashi’s side. Instead, the owl-haired man was having the time of his life at one of the top universities for volleyball, playing on a team that would surely land them a spot in nationals this year. And here Akaashi was in Tokyo, leading a prestigious team of his own, but it just wasn’t the same.

Nothing had been the same since Bokuto left.

Something akin to frustration sits in the pit of Akaashi’s stomach as he scrolls through the text previews. There were messages of all kinds, ranging from _Akaashi!!!! Uni has been crazy busy, and the team here is so good!!!! _to _What are you eating for lunch today? I’m having the usual!! The dorm food isn’t as bad as everyone says!! _They’re simple minute-to-minute updates of his college life, and Akaashi is happy that the older man was enjoying himself.

But as happy as he is, he can’t ignore the feelings of longing that have settled in the depths of his heart. Since the new school year started, he’s done everything he can to prevent the sensation from creeping into his thoughts. Going harder at volleyball practice, setting tosses hundreds of times to the spikers, mopping the floors until they squeaked beneath his feet—at this rate, the Fukurodani gym would simultaneously be run to gravel and cleaned into a crystal.

Akaashi sets his phone face down next to his pillow and closes his eyes. The next thing he knows, visions from the dream that woke him up replay in his mind: Bokuto walking into the Fukurodani gym, Akaashi approaching the ace, Bokuto sweeping Akaashi off his feet and spinning him around. Akaashi remembers laughing in such an uncharacteristic way—giggling, even. He remembers the firmness of Bokuto’s arms, conditioned from endless practices and spikes that they had shared together. He remembers the soft gaze in those golden eyes he spent years looking into.

The young setter opens his eyes before he can remember any more than that—his cheeks are already burning past the normal body temperature—and he checks his phone again.

Of course, there aren’t any new messages from Bokuto. The other man would have fallen asleep long ago, probably in preparation for an early morning practice. There’s a soft smile finding its way to Akaashi’s mouth, knowing that that was exactly what Bokuto would do. Because at the end of the day, they know each other better than anyone else.

Akaashi unlocks his phone and opens his conversation with Bokuto.

_Hey, Bokuto-san. **I dreamt about you last night.**_


	7. "i'm stronger than i look" + koganimi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** contains manga spoilers from the ball boy arc!!  
find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

It didn’t help that his towel was already damp with sweat from their previous practice match, but Kunimi makes do with it as he wipes off the beads running down the back of his neck. The Shiratorizawa coach had insisted they play one last set so they could get more accustomed to spiking with their setters.

Every practice with Koganegawa led to a different experience each time over the course of the training camp. At first, Kunimi couldn’t shake off the impression that the insanely tall setter was simply the combination of a certain glasses-wearing middle blocker and orange-haired ball boy in one body. Koganegawa even bore the grace of Hinata—it didn’t take glasses to see that the Dateko player was newer to the game, not ripe enough to pick off the tree.

It was nothing like practices with Oikawa. Oikawa knew everyone on Seijoh like the backs of his worn setter hands; he knew the moment Kunimi purposefully took a step back in his effort level, but also knew how to take full advantage of that. And because of that, Kunimi had started to feel a certain thrill in knowing how to make use of his energy. How to time it out, make his opponents assume that he was nothing more than a laidback wing spiker. How to find the perfect moment in the game to show his full potential, and throw off the players on the other side of the net.

Perhaps it comes with experience, but Koganegawa was raw with his tosses. Too high, too low, another miss; Kunimi thought he would have grown exhausted of it all. However, there was something about the ripeness in Koganegawa’s abilities that made him feel… almost grateful to get to learn what it was like to learn with someone else. To practice tosses with someone who was inexperienced in terms of years just like him. Though Kunimi would never tell it to him face-to-face, there was a glimmer of promise in the inexperienced setter.

Because of that, Kunimi was starting to grow slightly fond of the taller boy. But not enough to suppress his irritation every time Koganegawa told him to “go all out.” Kunimi hated those words. Absolutely despised them.

Kunimi throws his towel in the general direction of his volleyball bag to start taking the net down. Tsukishima and Kindaichi had already taken care of the net, so all that remained was the protective pads. Kunimi wraps the full length of his arms around the cushion, detaches it from the pole, then starts to position it under his arm.

“Hey, Kunimi! Do you need help with that?”

Kunimi can’t miss that voice from a mile away. He lets out a sigh as he turns to face Koganegawa, readjusting the pad so it can rest more comfortably in his arm.

“I’m good. **It’s not heavy, but I am stronger than I look,**” Kunimi deadpans.

Koganegawa quickly brings a hand up to rub the back of his head in embarrassment. “Oh, right! Of course! Good practice today, Kunimi!” he spills out of his mouth to cover up for his previous misassumption.

Kunimi is appreciative of the offer, but that’s something else he’d never admit. Instead, he smiles.

“Thanks. You, too, Koganegawa.”


	8. "i'm stronger than i look" + oiyaku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

“No, don’t you dare, Tooru. Don’t you dare!”

“Or what, ‘Suke-chan? You’ll bite me?”

“I’m definitely considering it!”

Yaku’s previously puffed up cheeks deflate as he aggressively huffs, crossing his arms over his chest to prevent Oikawa from doing anything more. It was one thing when Oikawa stole his food—he usually let that slide, the result of losing many previous battles to steal his food back—but it was an entirely different matter when his boyfriend teased him for wearing his hoodies.

Yes, Yaku is entirely aware of how Oikawa’s hoodies are too big on him. Yes, Yaku knows he must look like the smallest man on the planet while wearing them. And, yes, Yaku thinks they are very comfortable and realizes that with this odd match-up, he was practically asking to be poked fun at.

That didn’t mean Yaku wasn’t going to feel the slightest pinch of irritation whenever that happened. He ought to get used to it by now, and he knows Oikawa doesn’t mean any harm. But, still—he’s short, Oikawa is a giant compared to him, and he’d rather their height difference go unspoken for the rest of their lives.

This is Oikawa he’s talking about here, though. Oikawa Tooru, who took every advantage he had with Yaku’s stature. Oikawa Tooru, who—despite all the teasing—made Yaku feel like being short wasn’t the worst thing. Oikawa Tooru, who took all of Yaku’s insecurities away and turned them around, reminding him that his height is a part of him and that Oikawa loved every part of him.

It’s frustrating. Loving Oikawa was frustrating in all of the right ways.

“Hey… ‘Suke-chaaaan… Would you at least look at me?”

Perhaps Yaku has made Oikawa suffer long enough. But he instantly regrets wondering that the moment he turns his head to look at his partner. He doesn’t have a chance to breathe when Oikawa sweeps him off his feet, his arms tight around the middle of his body, and now he’s being spun around.

“Put me down, Tooru!” Yaku shouts through giggles, but Oikawa seems to have no intent on loosening his hold. “You’re gonna drop me!”

“I would never do such a thing, ‘Suke-chan!” Oikawa promises, and it sends a rush of embarrassed heat to Yaku’s cheeks. “Plus, **you’re not even that heavy! I’m stronger than I look,** you know, and—_ow!_”

Yaku flashes a wide smirk when Oikawa narrows his gaze at him. “And so am I.”


	9. "can i hold your hand?" + iwasuga

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter [@shinsokun](https://twitter.com/shinsokun)!

“Come on, Koushi! We’re gonna miss it!”

“Just one second, Hajime!”

Gravity certainly wasn’t being kind to Suga’s legs as they weighed him down for the last—he’s lost track of how many miles they’ve trekked since his muscles started growing sore. But his suffering doesn’t stop Iwaizumi from excitedly tugging on his arm, eager to get to their destination. Wherever Iwaizumi was dragging him to, Suga really hoped it would be worth the fatigue he’d feel the next morning.

Iwaizumi definitely owed him an hour-long massage. Maybe two hours.

Fortunately for his legs and the rest of his body, the incline they had been walking up begins to taper off into a plateau, the grass and soil still soft beneath his dirtied tennis shoes. Iwaizumi is equally as excited as he had been when they started, which Suga can’t help but find insanely endearing even as he’s huffing and wondering if the oxygen in the air was suddenly depleted. It isn’t much longer when they finally reach the very top of the hill, but his boyfriend is blocking him from proceeding any further.

Iwaizumi releases his hold on Suga’s hand, and Suga takes this chance to heave over and fully catch his breath. Once the lightness in his head dissipates, Suga stands back up and looks at Iwaizumi, confused.

“Why are you standing there? We’re here, aren’t we?”

Iwaizumi has that wicked grin on his face that both worries and excites Suga, depending on the situation. And in this situation, Suga isn’t really sure which of the two it is. Better to let the taller man explain himself than to fight him for an answer that he wanted.

“Close your eyes, Koushi. It’s not time yet, but it will be soon,” Iwaizumi instructs.

Suga first rolls said eyes before bringing his hands up to cover them, Iwaizumi and the view behind him now completely out of focus.

“Alright, Hajime. Don’t let me trip, ‘kay?”

Suga hears Iwaizumi chuckle, and senses that he is now _very _close. “Promise.”

There are now hands resting squarely on his shoulders, slowly and carefully guiding him forward. With every step forward, he can feel the soft glow of what must be the sun hitting the back of his hands, warming them up as much as Iwaizumi’s hands were on his shoulders. Both sensations release the tension in his head, and he considers staying just like that for the next ten minutes. Instead, Iwaizumi continues to urge him on, but it isn’t long until Iwaizumi stops walking, prompting Suga to do the same.

“Are we there? Can I open my eyes now, Hajime? The anticipation is getting to me,” Suga whines, bouncing slightly on his toes.

Iwaizumi laughs this time—a sound that Suga has grown to love more than any other—and the hands that were on his shoulders now leave. “Yes, you can. We got here just in time.”

Suga removes his palms away from his face and slowly opens his eyes, and he immediately closes one of them as the warm glow of the sun nearly blinds him.

It takes a few moments for his vision to readjust, but once it does, the sight beyond the horizon is truly a wonder of nature. Suga isn’t sure he’s ever seen a sunset quite like this in all his time living in Miyagi, in a place quite like this. The colors above them are shades of purple, orange, and pink that come together so perfectly, it’s akin to a painting. The red rays are dimming down as the sun lowers deeper under the horizon, giving the sky a gentle burn.

Suga can’t quite take his eyes away from the sight. But a rush of affection in his heart catalyzes his focus toward Iwaizumi, who is even more breathtaking than the sun setting in front of them. He’s even more gorgeous than Suga remembers, and he doesn’t even catch himself staring until Iwaizumi returns his gaze, a soft smile gracing his handsome features.

“What’s up, Koushi? You’re staring at me.”

“**Can I hold your hand,** Hajime?” Suga asks in a whisper.

No more words are needed as Iwaizumi’s hand slides perfectly into Suga’s, their fingers now locked in a tight promise and in an embrace warmer than the sun.

This moment was undoubtedly worth more than anything in the world.


End file.
